Color photographic silver halide photosensitive materials (to be simply referred to as photosensitive materials), after exposure, are processed through a series of steps of color development, desilvering, washing, stabilization, and the like. There are utilized a color developer for color development, a bleaching solution, bleach-fixing solution, and fixer for desilvering, city water or ion-exchanged water for washing, and a stabilizer for stabilization. The photosensitive materials are processed by dipping them in the respective processing solutions which are usually adjusted to a temperature of about 30.degree. to 40.degree. C. Since the processing solutions lower their processing ability upon repetition of processing and with the lapse of time, it is a common practice to replace the respective solutions by fresh solutions partially or entirely in a replenishing or batchwise mode.
Prior to the start of processing operation, the user has to prepare some processing solutions. Most chemical agents used for such preparation are solid and if kept in contact, can react one another to form undesirable reaction products. It is not recommended to deliver a mixture of chemical agents to the user. Therefore, chemical agents of potential reaction are received in separate packages which are delivered to the user. Separate packaging increases the costs for packages and transportation and leaves the possibility that unskillful users wrongly blend the chemical agents.
It is a common practice to separate the components of a processing solution into two or more parts and deliver the respective parts in concentrate form to the user so that dilution is the only operation that the user has to take in preparing a processing solution. For example, a color developer is available as three concentrate parts, a first part containing a color developing agent, a second part containing an alkaline agent, and a third part containing a preservative such as hydroxylamine sulfate. Although these parts are concentrates, they are received in separate containers if they contain potentially reactive components. This system is not compact in this sense. In addition, since the concentrate parts are liquid, they require a dissolving step prior to their preparation, need careful handling during transportation, and allow formation of deposits during transportation or storage which are often difficult to dissolve again.
European Patent Application Publication No. 196551 discloses a new approach in which two or more potentially reactive particles among components of a photographic processing composition are stacked as layers through an inert layer so as to prevent their reaction and vacuum packaged. This publication sets forth an example using a black-and-white photographic developing composition, but is silent about the best mode of stacking for a color photographic color developing composition.